i66 OVIPAROUS QUADRUPEDS. 



Loves gravelly water, where it hides under the ftones, in ditches, and 

 marflics, or ponds; rarely in running ftreanas. In winter, retires com- 

 monly into fubttrrranean humid places; walks very fiowly on land ; fome- 

 times, when it comes to breathe at the water edge,' has a, little kind of 

 V^hiille; is very tenacious of lifej has been found in the midftofice, 

 fome times froztrn up, and recovered when the ice was thawed, which 

 in ice-hoqfcs has been a long time after its congelation. Eats 

 flies, water-infefts, frog fpawn, &c. alfo water-beans, which float 

 on the ponds. Is not viviparous ; but in April or May lays .eggs„ 

 often twenty, which form two firings, and are united by vifcous matter, 

 "which alfo envf'lopes them fingly. When laid, they fall to the bottom of 

 the water; as they enlarge, through the vifcous jelly, and the tranfparent 



, membrane which it inclofes, is feen the young falamander folded in 

 the liquor which this membrane contains. This embryo enlarges infen- 



^ iibly, and quickly moves with great agility : after eight or ten days he 

 tears the membrane, and gains his liberty. In this ftate he has fome 

 conformity to fifhes ; while his legs are very fhort, he has on each fide, 

 and a little above his fore legs, little fringed tufts, which refemble fins, 

 pr a feather : they are analogous to the giUs of fifn, and perhaps ferve 



^,for the fame purpofe, to filtrate the air contained in the water; tkefe 

 gradually diminifh, and difappear, adhering to the (kin. 



In fummer the aquatic Salamander quits his (kin every four or five 

 days; in more temperate weather after a longer intcrval.__A day or two 

 before this change, the animal is more lifllefs than ordinary, nor regards 

 worms or infeds, his favourite prey. His (kin is detached from his body in 

 feveral places ; and its colour fades : he ufes his front feet to loofen and 

 open his (kin about his jaws, this he pufhes over his liead, till his fore 

 ICj^s are free ; he continues to pufh this loofened fkin off from him, 

 as far as his fore-legs can reach ; but he is obliged to rub againfl the 

 ftones, <2:ravelj &c. to further his endeavours. After a while, the front part 

 of the fkin is turned on his back and tail ; when feizing it with his mouth, 

 and difengaging one hind foot after the other, he gets free from his late 

 covering. Thus the old fkin is turned infjde outwards ; but is not torn 

 in any place: the fpace for the eyes is left void and open. After this 

 operation, which engages an hour and a half, the animal appears in his 

 full vigour, and his new fkin is fmooth and brilliant. The call (kin is 

 found floating on ponds, &c. Even in winter, this animal often 

 forms more than one new fkin j for in temperate winters he is not torpid. 

 ' • ^ Sometimes 



